On 28 March, the Finnish Parliament overwhelmingly approved a proposal to criminalise so-called conversion therapies.
Over 50,000 Finnish citizens signed the initiative entitled “The human being is whole - ban conversion therapies” which now requires Parliament to take measures to safeguard the human rights of the Finnish population.
Conversion therapies are interventions aimed at changing, repressing or suppressing the sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression of LGBTQ+ persons that have been qualified as torture by the United Nations.
SFP leader and Finland’s Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz welcomed the decision which SFP supported in the vote.
“The current legislation is not clear enough, and changing the law would put an end to the psychological violence of conversion therapies. In addition to further protecting the fundamental rights of sexual minorities, the decision also shows how democracy can work. It's not every day that a citizens' initiative is approved, and the fact that it is on a matter of fundamental human rights makes it even more significant," said Adlercreutz.
Eight EU countries have already banned conversion therapies, and a European Citizens’ Initiative calls on the European Commission to propose a binding legal ban on all Member States. Click here to sign the petition.
Photo: SFP